Velocipede



C. W. BENNETT.

VELOCIPEDE.

APPLlCATiON FILED JAN. 14, 1920.

1,373,707, Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

Ill/VENTOI? hrromvfr UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VELOCIPEDE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 14 1920. Serial No. 351,385.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GLAnnNon W. BnN- News, acitizen of'the United States, residing at New York city, in the countyand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Velocipedes, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to vehicles of the type ordinarily known asvelocipedes and has reference particularly to the wheel hub and crankstructure.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simple, practical andrelatively inexpensive structure of this character which can be readilyassembled and particularly one in which the cranks can beeasily removedfor shipment and storage purposes and which, when desired, can be asreadily assembled.

The invention involves various novel features of construction,combinations and arrangements of parts, all of which will be fullydescribed in the following specification which is to be read inconjunction with the accompanying drawing forming .a part hereof andwherein I have disclosed but one of the preferred embodiments of theinvention.

In the drawing referred. to, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a childsvelocipede having the features of the invention incorporated therein.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional'view of the hub structure of the frontwheel, as taken on substantially the planeof line 2-2 of F ig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a broken and longitudinal sectional view of the hub and crankassembly.

Fig. 4: is another cross sectional view taken on substantially the planeof line 4-4 of Fig. 3. v

Referring now to the several parts in detail, 5-5 designate the arms ofthe socalled .fork which are provided at their lower ends with suitablebearings 6 to take the journal or axle portions 7 of the cranks 8.

These cranks are interlocked or keyed to the hub structure by meansofnon-circular keying portions 9 provided at the inner ends thereofwhich take into correspondingly shaped seats in the ends of the hub.These seats are provided by means of a tubular member, designated 10, ofnoncircular cross section and shown in the illustration as flattened(Figs. 2 and 4) to fit the correspondingly flattened keying portions 9of the cranks.

In the present disclosure this tubular member 10 is also utilized asameans for securing the end heads of the hubs together, the ends of saidtube being shown Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

as extending through non-circular openings in the end headsll andriveted or turned over at the outer faces of the same, as indicated at12. The heads are held apart in proper spaced relation by a suitablespacmg sleeve 13 which, like the heads and tube, may be constructed ofrelatively light and inexpenslve sheet metal.

Spokes 14: are suitably secured to the end heads, in this instance, byoverlying clampmg plates 15 which are held in place by tongues orflanges 16 extended from the heads between the spokes and bent over theouter face of the clamping platessee particularly in this connectionFig. 1. j

The cranks are detachably secured to the hub by means of nuts 17rotatably confined to the outer endsof the hubs and engaging withscrew-threaded portions 18 provided on the cranks between the journalportions I 7 and the keying ends 9 thereof (Fig. 8). For rotatablysecuring these nuts in place I have illustrated in the presentdisclosure cap plates 19 fastened to the end heads by means of inwardlystruck fingers or flanges 20 extended in between the spokes and bentover the inner faces of the heads, said caps having radially projectingannular flanges 21 overlying the annular outstanding flanges 22 of thenuts. The fit of these parts is such that the nuts are centered withrespect to the wheel hub and while firmly held thereto, are free to beturned by means of a suitable wrench for instance.

The construction "described provides a rigid, strong hub structure whichis relatively light and inexpensive to manufacture and provides a meansby which the cranks may be readily attached or detached, as required. Inmounting the wheel in the fork, the wheel is centered between the armsof the fork, the cranks are entered through the bearings providedtherefor and when the threaded portions of the cranks are engaged by thenuts, the nuts are turned on the hub to thereby advance the keyingportions on the inner ends of the cranks into the seats providedtherefor in the hub, care being exercised in the first instance to placeI the cranks so that the keying portions will properly register with theseats therefor.

When the cranks are to be detached, the nuts are simply turned in thereverse direction so as to withdraw the keying portions from thekey-seats in the hub.

While the above constitutes a practical and at the present time apreferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood thatvarious modifications may be made without departure from the spirit andscope of the invention defined in the appended 7 claims and I wouldfurthermore have it understood that the terms employed herein are usedin a descriptive rather than 111 a limiting sense, except, however, forsuch limitations as may be imposed by the state ;of the prior art.

What I claim is: I

1. In combination with a velooipede, a I fork provided with bearings, awheel in said fork, a hub for the wheel, said hub having non-circularseats in the opposite ends thereof, cranks hav ng non-circular endportlons :for interlocking engagement in said'seats, screw-threadedportions on the crank, our

nal portions on the crank for engagement with the bearings, and nutsrotatably con fined to the opposite ends of the wheel hub and engagingthe threaded portions of the cranks to draw the inner ends of the cranksfinto the seats in the hub and the journal portions into the bearings inthe fork.

2.111 a velocipede, a wheel hub having non-circular seats in theopposite ends of the same, cranks having non-circular end portions forkeying. engagement in said seats, the cranks being provided withscrewthreaded portions, and nuts rotatably confined to the ends of thehub and engaging the screw-threaded portions of the cranks to force theends'of the cranks into the seats end portions, cranks havingnon-circular aforesaid. V

3. In a velocipede, a wheel hub having non-circular seats in theopposite ends thereof, bearing members having journal portions, cranksprovided with screw-threaded portions, non-circular end portions on thecranks for engagement in the seats aforesaid, and nuts rotatablyconfined to the ends of the hubs and engaging the strew-threadedportions of the cranks.

4. In a velocipede, a wheel hub having end heads, a tubular memberextending be tween said heads'and having non-circular end portionsfitting in the'non-circular end portions of the tubular member, saidcranks being provided with screw-threaded por tions, and nuts rotatablyconfinedto the end heads and engaging the screw -threaded portions ofthe cranks.

r 5. In a velocipede, a wheel hub having end heads, ,a spacing sleevebetween said heads, a tubular member having non-circular ends secured insaid heads and fastening the same together, nuts rotatably confined tosaid end heads, and cranks having screwthreaded portions engaged by saidnuts and non-circular end portions fitting in the noncircular ends ofthe tubular member. 7

6. In a velocipede, a wheel hub having end heads, a spacing sleevebetween sa1d heads, a tuhular'member having non-circular ends secured insaid heads and fastening the same together, flanged nuts overlying saidendheads, caps secured to the heads and having flanges overstanding theflanged nuts to rotatably confine the same to said heads, and axlemembers having screwthreaded portions engaged by said nuts andnon-circular end portions fitting in the noneircular ends of the tubularmember.

7. In a velocipede, end heads carrying non-circular seats, spokessecured 'to said heads, nuts rotatably confined to said heads,

and axle members having screw-threaded .portions engagedby said nuts andnon-circular end portions fitting in said seats.

8. In a velocipede, a wheel'hub comprising end heads, a spacing sleevebetween said heads, a non-circular'tube extending between said heads andsecured thereto at its ends, spokes secured to the end heads, flangednuts overlying said heads, caps secured to the heads and having flangesr0- tatably confinin the nuts, and axle members having screw-threadedportions engaged by said nuts and non-circular end portions fitting intothe ends of the non circular tube.

9.In a velocipede, a wheel hub assemblage comprising end heads, aspacing sleeve between said heads, a non-circular tuheextending betweenthe heads and secured thereto at its ends, spokes applied to the endheads, clamping plates, securing said spokes to said heads, nuts appliedover said plates and provided with outstanding flanges, caps secured tothe heads and having flanges overstanding the flanges of the nuts, andaxle members having screw-threaded portions engaged by said nuts andnon-circuclamping plates applied over said spokes,

fiZLIlgQIDQDlbQIS extending from said heads and engaged over theclamplng plates,'end

caps applied over the clamping plates and having flange memberssecured'over the end heads, and flanged nuts held to the ends of the hubby said caps.

12. In a wheel hub, an end head, spokes applied thereto, a clampingplate applied over said spokes, fingers extending from the head betweenthe spokes and engaged over the clamping plate and a cap applied overthe clamping plate and having fingers extending over the fingers of thehead and bent over the back of the head.

13. In a Wheel hub, a head plate and a clamping plate, spokles engagedbetween} said plates, said head plate having fingers extending to andbent over the clamping plate, and a cap plate having securing fingersextending over the first mentioned fingers.

14. A Wheel hub having a non-circular seat in one end thereof, an axlemember having a non-circular end portion fitting said seat, said axlemember being provided With a screw-threaded portion, and a nut rotatablyconfined to the hub and engaging the screw-threaded portion of the axlememher to force the non-Vcircular portion thereof into the seat providedtherefor.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

CLARENCE W. BENNETT.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK A. HAMEL, FRANK GEBIoK.

